Marthas Tamale Dressing Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat the broiler. Halve the poblanos lengthwise and remove the stems and seeds. Place cut-side down on a baking sheet and broil until browned in spots, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and set aside 5 minutes. Peel off the skin, then roughly chop.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Combine the lard, baking powder and 1 teaspoon salt in a large bowl and mix with a wooden spoon until combined. Whisk the masa harina, 2 cups hot water and the broth in a separate bowl; add to the lard mixture and mix until smooth.
• Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the scallions, garlic, chipotles, cumin and orange zest and cook, stirring, until the scallions are soft, about 2 minutes. Add the plantains, roasted poblanos and capers and season with salt.
• Gently stir the scallion mixture into the masa mixture. Line a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with the banana leaves, crossing one over the other, and add the filling. Fold the banana leaves over the filling, tucking them in to seal. Cover with aluminum foil and bake until the filling is set, about 1 hour, 15 minutes, uncovering halfway through.

Steps:

• Place all ingredients in a jar with a tight-fitting lid. Secure lid and shake vigorously until thickened. Refrigerate up to 3 days (shake vigorously before each use.)

Steps:

• Heat over to 350. Coat a 9 x 13 in baking dish with non stick spray.
• Crumble or cut tamales and corn bread into small pieces, place in a large mixing bowl. Drain juices from tomatoes, set aside.
• Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, Saute onion for 5 minutes.
• Add Mexican seasonings and drained tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes until heated and onion is tender.
• Toss mixture lightly with tamales, cornbread and cheese. Keep mixture loose; don't overmix or pack down.
• Transfer dressing to baking dish, bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until browned.
• If you can't find a Mexican blend seasoning, you can use 1 tsp each of Chili powder, garlic powder and ground cumin.

Steps:

• Prepare the corn husks: Place in a large saucepan, cover with water and bring to a boil. Turn off heat and use a plate to submerge husks. Soak 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, prepare the masa: In a medium bowl, mix masa with 11/4 cups hot water. Let cool.
• Combine lard and baking powder in a stand mixer and beat for 1 minute, until light. Add salt and masa in 3 additions, beating at medium-low speed. Gradually add 3/4 cup broth while beating on low speed; beat for another minute or two. Taste for salt. Test to see if masa is aerated enough by dropping 1/2 teaspoon into a cup of water; it should float to the top. Batter should be soft but not runny, holding together on a spoon if you tilt the spoon. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour. Beat masa again for a couple of minutes, adding remaining broth.
• Meanwhile, make the filling: Place tomatillos in a saucepan, cover with water and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer 8 to 10 minutes, flipping them over halfway through, until softened and olive green. Drain and place in a blender. Add green chiles, onion, garlic and cilantro sprigs. Blend until smooth.
• Heat oil in a large, heavy saucepan or skillet over medium-high heat. Add tomatillo purée and stir constantly until it thickens and begins to stick to pan, about 5 minutes. Stir in broth, add salt to taste and bring to a simmer; let simmer 10 to 15 minutes, stirring often. Stir in chipotles. Sauce should be creamy and coat the front and back of a spoon. Taste and adjust seasoning. Remove from heat. Stir in shredded turkey.
• Make the tamales: Select 16 corn husks; look for large ones that have no tears. Take a few more and tear into 16 1/4-inch-wide strips for tying tamales. Use some of the remaining husks to line a steamer that is at least 6 inches deep (or a pasta pot with an insert); reserve a few husks in case you need to double-wrap tamales. Add just enough water to the pot to miss hitting the bottom of the basket.
• Lay a corn husk in front of you and pat dry. Spread a scant 1/4 cup of the masa into a 4-inch square, leaving a 1 1/2-inch border at pointy tapered end of the husk and a roughly 3/4-inch border on the other sides. Spoon a heaped tablespoon of turkey mixture down the middle of the masa. Pull long edges of husk toward each other and join them so that batter is now wrapped around the filling. Fold the two pinched-together edges over in the same direction and wrap the tamale. If it does not seem well wrapped, wrap in a second husk. Fold pointy end up to enclose the bottom and tie with a strip of husk. The wide top end will be open. Stand tamale up, closed end down, in steamer. Repeat with remaining masa and filling. The tamales should be crowded into the steamer so they remain upright. If they don't, fill spaces with crinkled foil. If tops stick out from top of steamer, trim with scissors.
• Lay unused soaked husks over open tops of tamales. Bring water to a boil, cover pot, reduce heat to medium and steam tamales for 11/2 hours. Meanwhile, bring a kettle of water to a boil to replenish water in bottom of the pot, should it run out (check periodically). Tamales are done when husk comes away easily from the masa; when done, let them sit at least 15 minutes in the pot, uncovered, to firm up. Serve hot.

Steps:

• Put 12 corn husks in a large bowl, cover with hot water, and weight down with a plate to keep them submerged. Soak until soft and pliable, about 2 hours; drain.
• Simmer chicken in broth 12 to 15 minutes. When cool enough to handle, shred into small pieces.
• Dough:Combine masa harina, lard, and salt in a food processor and pulse until the consistency of coarse cornmeal. Transfer to a large bowl. Add 2 cups corn to processor and puree; transfer to bowl with masa mixture. Stir in remaining cup corn and warm broth. Knead mixture with your hands until a dough forms. Cover with a damp towel until ready to use.
• Tear remaining 3 corn husks into 24 thin strips. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Place 1 soaked corn husk on your flattened palm. Pinch off 1/3 cup dough with your other hand and press it into center of husk to form a 4-by-3-inch rectangle. Press 1/4 cup chicken into center of dough. Close your palm so sides of husk cover filling, and place on a work surface with a long side of the husk facing you. Roll up husk into a tight log, fold over the wider end of the husk, and tie with a strip of corn husk. Twist thinner end of husk and tie with another corn-husk strip. Repeat process to form remaining 11 tamales.
• Insert a steamer basket inside a large pot filled with 1 inch of water and bring to a boil. Place tamales in basket, cover, and steam 1 hour, checking pot occasionally and adding hot water as needed to prevent scorching. Serve tamales with salsa.

Steps:

• In a small bowl, whisk together vinegar, mustard, salt, pepper, and a pinch of sugar.
• Slowly add oil, whisking until emulsified, or shake the ingredients in a jar, or whirl them in a blender.

Steps:

• Make the filling: Heat a small heavy skillet or a comal over medium heat until hot. Add garlic, and cook until soft and well charred on all sides, 5 to 10 minutes. Peel, and transfer to the jar of a large heavy-duty blender. Add chile to pan, and toast for 1 minute per side. Tear chile into pieces, discarding stem; add to blender. Add avocado leaves to pan, a few at a time, and toast about 30 seconds per side; tear into pieces, discarding tough stems; add to blender.
• In a large deep skillet, heat lard over medium heat. Add onion, and cook until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer onions to blender along with 1/2 cup water. Blend until smooth. Add beans, with their liquid, and blend until smooth. If necessary, work in batches.
• Reheat lard in skillet, adding a little more if necessary. Add the blended bean mixture, and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until you have a thick paste, about 10 minutes. Season with salt. Let stand at room temperature, covered, or set over an ice bath, until cool.
• Fill tamale steamer or a stockpot lined with a steamer with enough water to come just below the level of the rack. Place four light coins in the water. Discontinuation of their jiggling will let you know that the water is getting dangerously low and should be supplemented with more boiling water. Place a double layer of corn husks to cover the rack; set aside.
• Make the dough: In a medium bowl, work lard and salt into the masa until evenly distributed. Divide dough into 15 portions, and roll each into a smooth ball.
• Line a tortilla press with a piece of matte plastic wrap (such as a cut-open vegetable bag from the grocery store, not a shiny piece of plastic). Place one of the balls on the bottom plate of a tortilla press, and flatted slightly with your hand. Press the top plate down, but not too hard, to obtain a disk of dough about 5 1/2 inches in diameter.
• Remove disk from tortilla press. Peel back the top piece of plastic to release the dough, replace the plastic, and flip disk and plastic over. Peel back the second side. Spread a generous tablespoon of the bean paste over the center of the dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Use the bottom piece of plastic to fold the dough up and over the filling about two-thirds of the way. Repeat on second side, enclosing the filling. Fold in the two remaining sides, creating a rectangular tamale, about 3 1/2-by-2-inches.
• Carefully transfer tamale to a soaked corn husk. Top with a piece of hoja santa. Fold the corn husk over to completely cover dough. Set tamale on a tray, and repeat with remaining ingredients.
• By this time the water in the steamer should be boiling and the coins rattling. Place the tamales in the steamer, overlapping them slightly, but not stacking them. Cover with more husks, a thick kitchen towel, and a tightly fitting lid.
• Cook tamales for 40 minutes to 1 hour. To test for doneness, remove one of the tamales and check that, when it's opened up, the dough separates easily from the husk. Serve with salsa de chile pasilla de Oaxaca.